The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-09-22

First, Gambrell was shot and his head
mashed by somebody. Col. Jones 8.
Hamilton was arrested as one OF the
principals In the killing. Dol. Hamil.
ton is rich and influential and his
friends numerous. The latter rallied
to him at once. An unusual mum.
Der Of lawyers we're employed
In his defense. His friends have been
loud In their declarations OF his limo.
cence. Several newspapers In tbs
State, within the vicinity OF jackson,
where the killing occurred, and where
Hamilton lives, have, for months,
filed their columns with denuncia.
tions Of the dead man, euloyiss OF
Hamilton, and abusive epithets for
those who maintained that Gambrell
had been murdered In cold blood.
Never In the criminal history Of Mis-
sissippi, or Of any other State, did q
man charged with q grave crime have
such powerful. loyal and persistent
defenders. One paper, printed At
Jackson, has, for four months, de.
voted Its columns almost entirely to
pleas In his behalf. II ID not
remarkable that newspapers should
pursue q criminal, or engage In long
contest for law and order. but II Ia 70.
variable that Q defendant lying
under 30 serious an accusation az that
under which Dol. Hamilton rests,
should have been 90 desperately do.
Tended In public print, while his
friends were maintaining that hs had
but 10 20 TO court 10 be acquitted, and
that the man who was killed met with
q late that was his due. The frst
blow that the defense received was
the refusal Of Chancellor Peyton to
admit Hamilton 10 bail. The serious
Implication In this action Of the chan.
csllor they passed OF lightly, at
tributing the deolsion TO the
malice Of the prosecution, claiming
that Hamilton WIS at q disadvantage,
ETC., etc. When the case came before
the court In Kinds county. the sta'e
asked for change Of venus, an un.
usual proceeding, TO which the defense
objected, the State being convinced
that iairer trial could be had outside
the immediate neishborhood OF Ham.
ilton's residence. The change was
grsnted-auother defeat for the dc.
Tense. When the case was called a,
Brandon, In August, the prosecution
was no, ready, and asked . pcstpons
ment until February, which the court
granted. II va, on this occasion thai
the extraordinary spectacle was pre-.
senied Of q defendant being escorted
10 the place Of trial by legion oil
friends, who, for lack Of other accom-
modations, set up tents. Surely
no man ever was favored
with more s,alous friendships. Tn,
roItponement having been granted
the attorneys for the defense set Il
work 10 secure Hamilton's release on
bail. They went to the Chiei Justics
Of the supreme Court and made their
plea. He decided that chancellor
Peyton's refusal 10 grant bail could moi
be cot aside, and declined accordingly
to hear the case on its merits. This
was not enough for the defense, and
their ingenuity was equal 10 the
emergency. They came forward with
two novel ples-one that Hamilton
should be admitted TO bail In order
that q surgical operation night be
performed; the other that chancellor
Peyton might have decided otherwise
than he did had not the State with.
held evidence important 10 the de-
tense. The Chiei Justice wa,
very patient, but he again
., iased 10 admit their va
lidity. The attorneys will now
take their exceptions 10 the Supreme
Court All this weaving In and weav
ing out, for whaii For bail, simply
Meantime, his friends insist that Z
petit Jury will acquit Hamilton a,
surely 40 tina, the sun rises and sets
This may be the result. Hamilton
attorneys may succeed In convincing
the jury that he should be acquitted,
but Il has been made very clear 10 the
world In general, and TO those who Al
feet tho revolver as an article OF attif,
In particular, tina, Ms,issippl justice Il
very stern aud very iorbidding; that Il
Ia not TO be csjoled; that Il 10 not Il
be diverted by special pleas. And 4
has also been made plain that Missis
sippi law was meant Tor the rich Al
we'll as .or Il poor, and that u is &C
enforced. II Colonel Hamilton had
been = man without friends aud with.
on. money, he could not, perhsps,
have had the benefit OF all these In.
genuiIies 10 secure bail. In the prisons
OF Mississippi there are doub,less
many poor devils who have envied
Colonel Hamilton In having had such
exceptional advantages In securing
the attention Of the courts, but the
decision CT the Chief Justice gives
them the assurance that the courts
a Mississippi are no respscters OF
person..